Nail package having exteriorly ribbed rataining strips

ABSTRACT

A nail package of the type including a plurality of nails arranged in row formation with their shanks generally parallel and the heads of adjacent nails in lapped relation and a plurality of strips of material for securing the nails in the row formation operable to be progressively disintegrated as the nails are progressively driven from the row formation by a tool. Each of the strips is formed to provide relatively narrow, thin, elongated webs and a longitudinally coextensive central rib, the webs extending longitudinally in the direction of extent of the row formation and transversely in the direction of extent of the shanks and being adhesively secured to the shanks on opposite sides of the row formation, the ribs extending longitudinally in the direction of extent of the row formation and transversely outwardly from the associated webs in a direction transverse to the direction of extent of the shanks.

United States Patent Peleg B. Briggs, Jr. Mystic, Conn. 876,810

Nov. 14, 1969 July 13. I971 Textron, Inc. Providence, RJ.

Inventor App]. No. Filed Patented Assignee [1.8. Ci 206/56 D Int. Cl865d 83/00 Field of Search 206/56 Reference Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS206/56 DF 206/56 DF Primary Examiner-Joseph R. Leclair AssistantExaminer-John M. Caskie Atlorner-Cushman, Darby & Cushman ABSTRACT: Anail package of the type including a plurality of nails arranged in rowformation with their shanks generally parallel and the heads of adjacentnails in lapped relation and a plurality of strips of material forsecuring the nails in the row formation operable to be progressivelydisintegrated as the nails are progressively driven from the rowformation by a tool. Each of the strips is formed to provide relativelynarrow, thin, elongated webs and a longitudinally coextensive centralrib, the webs extending longitudinally in the direction of extent of therow formation and transversely in the direction 6f extent of the shanksand being adhesively secured to the shanks on opposite sides of the rowformation, the ribs extending longitudinally in the direction of extentof the row formation and transversely outwardly from the associated websin a direction transverse to the direction of extent of the shanks.

PATENTED JUL 1 3 nan EueBomewBw INVENTOR 6631/5. /waafig m ATTORNEYSNAIL PACKAGE HAVING EXTERIORLY RIBBED RATAINING STRIPS This inventionrelates to fastener packages and more particularly to improvements inrigid nail stick packages ofthe type embodying a plurality offull-headed nails arranged in row formation with their shanks ingenerally parallel relation and the heads of adjacent nails in lappedrelation, which improvements relate to the means for securing the nailsin row formation.

There have been many proposals over the years to provide a portablepower tool for driving full-headed nails embodying means formechanically feeding successive nails from a supply into position to bedriven. Some tools of this type embody nailhandling mechanisms capableof storing and feeding a supply of nails in loose bulk form. In general,these devices have not proven entirely satisfactory in operation, thenature of the nail-handling mechanisms presenting limitations on theportability and applicability of such tools.

Power operated fastener driving tools which are truly portable and havewidespread applicability are usually provided with nail-handlingmechanisms which require special nail packages. in general, suchpackages embody some means for maintaining a supply of nails in apredetermined relation with respect to each other. A common expedient isto utilize some sort of carrier strip or adhesive which serves as ameans for retaining the nails together in row formation.

Nail supplies which are retained together by a carrier strip have, ingeneral, been packaged either in coil formation or straight stickformation. in a coil nail package, the carrier strip means retains thenails in a row in which adjacent nails are parallel to one another withthe heads in side-by-side relation, the carrier strip means beingflexible so as to permit the row of nails to be wound up into a coilformation wherein it is retained as a package. In a straight stick nailpackage the carrier strip means retains the nails in a row in whichadjacent nails have their heads disposed in lapped relation, the carrierstrip means being relatively rigid so as to retain the nails in astraight row formation.

3 A coil nail package has the advantage that a relatively large numberof nails can be packaged together in a relatively small concentratedvolume. Coil nails, however, have the disadvantage that a much morecomplex and elaborate mechanism for handling the package and feeding theleading nail of the package into the drive track must be provided. Afeeding mechanism of this type must be capable of operating on theleading portion of the strip so as to move the leading nail into thedrive track and at the same time unwind the strip from the magazinewhich houses the coil.

In comparison with the coil nail package, a straight stick package doesnot concentrate the nails in a compact volume but rather extends them inan elongated row, thus presenting a comparative restriction on thenumber of nails that can be effectively handled in a given package. Onthe other hand, the mechanism within the tool for handling a straightstick nail package can be relatively simple. Thus, instead of providinga feed mechanism which must be mechanically actuated after each drivestroke to pull the strip adjacent its leading portion, a simple springfeed can be utilized which pushes on the trailing nail of the package toresiliently urge the leading nail into the drive track.

In general it can be stated that coil nail packages have the advantageof providing a greater number of nails per package, thus minimizingdowntime due to nail package loading, but have the disadvantage of thenecessity of the tool embodying a relatively complex and costly nailfeeding and handling mechanism. These advantages outweigh thedisadvantages in applications where the supply of nails is rapidlyexhausted and downtime for reloading becomes a somewhat costly andbothersome procedure. Applications of this type are usually encounteredin smaller size nails. When dealing with larger size nails, as forexample, sixteen-penny or the like, in construction work, the supply ofnails is not as rapidly exhausted in terms of the overall operation.Moreover, because of weight and size considerations, the full advantagesof a coil of a coil package insofar as numbers of nails are concerned,cannot be secured. Consequently the utilization of a straight stickpackage appears to provide more overall advantages in such tools fordriving large nails.

Straight stick nail packages are well known in the art and the means forretaining the nails in such packages have taken many forms. The mostacceptable form of such retaining means utilizes carrier strip materialwhich is progressively fractured or disintegrated by the driving actionof each nail. in general, two types of nail-retaining means capable ofsuch progressive disintegrating action have been utilized in thesepackages. in one type, the nail retaining means is applied to the shanksof the nails in the form of a flowable thermoplastic material. Thethermoplastic material is then hardened, the hardened thermoplasticmaterial being confined to the space between the shanks by a pair ofthin paper strips extending tangentially to the shanks along each sideof the row formation in contact with the hardened thermoplasticmaterial. In a second type, the nail retaining means is in the form ofapair of adhesive tapes, the adhesive of each tape preferably being ofaheat activated material such as hot melt or the like. The tapes areapplied tangentially tothe shanks on opposite sides of the row formationand the adhesive is heat activated, as by preheating the shanks.

Each of these two types of straight stick nail packages has advantagesand disadvantages A disadvantage of a straight stick nail packageembodying a hardened thermoplastic material nail-retaing means is that asubstantial volume of thermoplastic material filling the space betweenadjacent nails must be fractured and disposed of as each nail is driven.in the normal operation of the tool, the volume of thermoplasticmaterial which extends between the leading nail and the next adjacentnail is stripped from the nails during the driving action. In someinstances this stripped material may end up beneath the head of thedriven nail, presenting an undesired result. In other instances,particularly in those situations where the tool is being usedcontinuously in one location, the fragments of thermoplastic materialcan build up on the floor where they become in effect little ballbearings, which may create a severe hazard to personnel.

A straight stick nail package embodying tangentially applied adhesivetapes as the nail-retaining means obviates this disadvantage in thatless material is provided between adjacent nails and this material is insheet or tape form which, when fractured or disintegrated during thedriving of the leading nail, is not in a form which would give rise tothe ball bearing action previously discussed.

While the tangentially applied adhesive tape nail retaining meansobviates the waste problem, other disadvantages are inherently presentedwhich do not present themselves in the hardened thermoplastic materialarrangement. These disadvantages relate to the driving action of theleading nail and the resulting tendency for nail misalignment andjamming to occur.

This tendency results from the fact that there is no body of carrierstrip material positioned directly between adjacent shanks that willcompressively resist the tendency of the shanks to move together as theleading nail is driven. On the contrary, the tangentially appliedadhesive strips tend to buckle due to insufficient compressive strengthduring the initial driving movement of the leading nail, resulting in atendency for the shanks of the leading nail and the next adjacent nailto move together by virtue of the buckling action. This tendency for theshanks to move together during the initial driving action can resulteither in the leading nail becoming longitudinally misaligned within thedrive track or, in some instances, in the next adjacent nail actuallybeing pulled into the drive track and creating ajamming condition.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a nailretainingmeans of the type described for a straight stick nail package whichsubstantially secures the advantages of the prior art arrangements Whilesubstantially obviating the disadvantages thereof.

In accordance with the principles of the present invention, this objectis obtained by providing a plurality of strips of material which areoperable to be progressively disintegrated as the nails areprogressively driven from the row formation, which strips are formed toprovide relatively narrow thin elongated web means and longitudinallycoextensive rib means. The web means extend longitudinally in thedirection ofextent of row formation of the nails and transversely in thedirection of extent of the shanks and are adhesively secured to theassociated sides of the shanks. The rib means extend longitudinally inthe direction of extent of the row formation and transversely outwardlyfrom the web means of the associated strip in a direction transverse tothe direction of extent of the shanks. With this arrangement, the ribmeans serve to provide an optimum compressive strength to the packagemaintaining the shanks of adjacent nails in properly spaced relation andthus more effectively resisting the tendency of the shanks to movetoward one another during the driving action.

Since the rib means are disposed outwardly of the shanks on each side ofthe row, they provide at least a pair of spaced continuous downwardlyfacing surfaces by which the package can be effectively supported withinthe magazine for longitudinal sliding movement. In addition, theportions of the rib means extending between the leading nail and thenext adjacent nail can be supported along shearing edges thus insuringthat the rib means will be separated by the initial driving movement andthe adjacent web means extending between the leading nail and the nextadjacent nail properly disintegrated. Moreover, with this supportingrelationship the tendency for nail misalignment and jamming ismaterially reduced by eliminating the tendency for the buckling type ofaction to take place.

Still another object of the present invention is the provision of a nailpackage of the type described having an improved nail-securing meanswhich provides a desirable lateral flexibility in the package as a unit,thus resisting breakage as by impact blow, such as when the package isdropped or the like, while at the same time providing a desirablefrangible or brittle characteristic which will insure optimumprogressive disintegration of the carrier strip as the nails areprogressively driven from the row formation.

Another object of the present invention is the provision ofa nailpackage of the type described having an improved nailsecuring meanswhich provides optimum operating characteristics with minimum amountofmaterial in adhesive contact with the nail shanks to thereby insuremaximum coating integrity to the shanks ofthe nails ofthe package whencoated.

Another object of the present invention is the provision ofa nailpackage of the type described having improved nailretaining means whichis effective in operation and economical to manufacture.

These and other objects of the present invention will become moreapparent during the course of the following detailed description andappended claims.

The invention may best be understood with reference to the accompanyingdrawings wherein an illustrative embodiment is shown.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a nail packageembodying the principles ofthe present invention,

FIG. 2 is an end view ofthe package shown in FIG. I; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along the line3-3 of FIG. 1.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, there is shown thereinone embodiment of a nail package, generally indicated at 10, embodyingthe principles ofthe present invention. As shown, the package includes amultiplicity of common round head nails 12, each including an elongatedcylindrical shank 14 having a point 16 formed on one end thereof and ahead 18 formed on the opposite end thereof. The nails are arranged inrow formation with their shanks 14 disposed in generally parallelrelation and their axis in a common plane and with the leading portionof the head 18 of each nail disposed in overlapping relation to thetrailing portion of the head of the adjacent nail. Preferably, thetrailing edge of the head of each nail is disposed in engagement withthe leading surface of the shank of the next adjacent nail or nearly inengagement therewith. The nails 12 are disposed in the row formation bya nail securing or retaining means, generally indicated at 20, whichembodies the principles of the present invention.

The nail-retaining means 20 includes a plurality of relatively narrowthin elongated strips 22. As shown, each strip constitutes an adhesivetape which includes a backing portion 24 of fibrous material, such askraft paper, having an adhesive 26 coated thereon, such as a hot meltmaterial or the like. In the preferred embodiment shown, the backingpaper has a thickness of the order of 0.005 inch and the coating athickness of the order of 0.010 inch. The width of each strip ispreferably of the order of seven-sixteeths inch. While a hotmelt-coatedkraft paper strip is illustrated as a preferred embodiment, it will beunderstood that the strip may be made of other materials.

A specific advantage of the preferred material is that the hot meltadhesive is normally nontacky, rendering it capable of being handledprior to assembly in rolls or coils which simplify assembly procedures,and being handled after assembly without the inconvenience of exposedtacky surfaces. The hot melt material has the property that when heatedit is converted into a flowable adhesive. The backing material 24 servesto control or confine the flow of the hot melt when heated and thepreferred porous material of the backing material has the furtheradvantage that the hot melt material in contact therewith is absorbedwithin the pores of the material which materially aids in theprogressive disintegration of the hot melt material as the nails arestripped from the package. It will be understood, however, that it iswithin the contemplation of the present invention to utilize strips of asolid adhesive material or laminated, coated or composite strips ofother materials having the desired properties.

As best shown in FIG. 3, each strip 22 is folded longitudinally to formweb means 28 and coextensive rib means 30 extending transverselyoutwardly therefrom. As shown, the web means 28 and rib means 30 arepreferably of generally T- shaped cross-sectional configuration althoughit will be understood that it is within the contemplation of the presentinvention to utilize other cross-sectional configurations, such as angleiron configurations, channel configurations and the like. In thepreferred embodiment shown, the rib means is formed by a centrallongitudinal fold the walls of which are disposed at an included angleof approximately 20. This angular relationship is considered desirablein that it is more readily accomplished by machinery than a full fold,although the latter is clearly within the contemplation of the presentinvention. Likewise, the rib means may be of hollow construction such aswould be formed by two or more folds.

In the preferred embodiment each strip folded in the manner indicated isthen applied alongside the row of nails and head is applied so that theassociated side of the shank of the nail becomes imbedded within the hotmelt adhesive of the web means. During the heating, the hot meltmaterial adjacent the central fold may flow together to provide a moresolid interior within the rib formation.

Also as shown, there are four strips utilized as the nailsecuring means,a pair of strips being mounted on each side of the row formation. Asshown, the strips are staggered in the direction of the extent of thenail shanks although it will be understood that the strips on oppositesides may be aligned if desired. Moreover, it is within thecontemplation of the present invention to utilize as few as two stripsand more than four if necessary.

The present invention has applicability to a wide variety of nailsincluding common nails, screw nails, box nails, sinker nails and thelike. As previously indicated, the invention has particular advantagesin large size nails, although, the invention is applicable to smallersize nails as well. in this regard, it is contemplated that the sameproduction equipment for manufacturing the packages as well as the toolsfor handling and driving the nails from the packages could be utilizedto accommodate a relatively wide range of sizes as, for example, fromeight-penny to sixteen-penny nails. It will be understood, however, thatthe head diameter size throughout the size range should remainessentially constant (e.g. of the order of 0.305 inch). The shankdiameter may vary in size, as, for example from 0.12 inch to 0.15 inch,and the shank length may vary in size, as, for example from 2%inches to3%inches at one-fourth inch increments.

A constant head size is desirable to insure proper driving throughoutthe size range by a single tool. Since the leading nail of the packageis positioned within the drive track by a spring pressure acting on thetrailing nail of the package, the position of the leading nail withinthe drive track is determined by the engagement of the leadingperipheral surface of the head with the wall of the drive track. Aconstant diameter head serves to insure that the shank of the nail willbe positioned within the drive track with its axis substantiallycoincident with the axis of the drive track. Moreover, since the drivetrack must be ofa diameter to accommodate the diameter of the headmaintenance of a constant head diameter size insures proper guidingregistry of the head within the drive track during the driving action.

Preferably, the nails would be packaged with the axis of the shanks ofadjacent nails being spaced apart the same distance irrespective oftheshank diameter size. The maximum spacing is determined by the headdiameter size and the largest shank diameter size when in abutment,taking into account manufacturing tolerances. With the preferredarrangement where the largest shank diameter size nail is employed theadjacent peripheries of the head and shank respectively of adjacentnails would be in substantial abutting engagement whereas in packagesembodying nails having the minimum shank diameter size within the rangethere would be a corresponding spacing between the peripheries of thehead and shanks of adjacent nails. The term substantial abuttingengagement" and derivatives thereof as herein utilized to describe therelationship between the head and shank respectively of adjacent nailscontemplates such range of spacing. It will be understood that with thepreferred constant spacing between the axis of adjacent nails the numberof nails per unit length of the package remains constant throughout thesize range. This constant spacing can be readily obtained in packageproduction equipment capable of accommodating the full size range bycollating the nails according to shank axis position.

It will be understood, however, that collating equipment whichinterrelates the adjacent nails through abutment of the periphery of theheads with the periphery of the shank of the next adjacent nail could beutilized in which case the number of nails per unit length of thepackage would increase as the diameter size decreases. Under thesecircumstances, the fastener driving element of a tool adapted toaccommodate the entire size range would have to be provided withsufficient relief to accommodate the greatest amount of head overlap aswhen the shank diameter is the least. The preferred embodiment, whilenot securing the advantage of greater nail density in the smaller shanksizes of the range, has the advantage of minimizing the relief that mustbe provided in the fastener driving element thus insuring a greatercontact area with the nail during the driving action.

it can be seen that since the nail-retaining means of the presentinvention utilizes adhesive tapes which are tangentially applied to thenail shanks, the advantages of the tangentially applied adhesive tapesof the prior art over the hardened thermoplastic material nail-retainingmeans insofar as waste disposal is concerned are secured. Moreover, theexterior rib means formed in the adhesive tapes of the present inventionsecure significant operational advantages over the straight tapesheretofore utilized in the prior art in tangentially applied adhesivetape nail-retaining means. As previously indicated, these prior artarrangements present a tendency for misalignment and jamming to takeplace during driving because of a buckling action in the tapes whichoccurs during the initial driving movement. This action occurs becausethe leading nail is supported within the drive track solely by the nextadjacent nail through the two flat tapes and the next leading nail issupported against longitudinal movement solely by engagement of the headthereof with supporting structure within the magazine. As the leadingnail is driven, ifimmediate full vertical fracture does not occur, theportion of the two flat tapes attached to the periphery of the shank ofthe leading nail will move longitudinally with respect to the portionattached to the periphery of the shank of the next adjacent nail. Unlessthe tapes have adequate compressive strength to prevent this movementfrom taking place prior to fracture, the tapes will buckle causing theshanks to move together in response to the relative longitudinalmovement therebetween.

The provision of exterior rib means in the strips prevents this bucklingand insures a more efficient driving action with a minimum tendency formisalignment and jamming. First, since the rib means provide downwardlyfacing surfaces which are exterior to the common tangential planes ofthe shanks, the magazine assembly can be constructed so as to providesurfaces which engage these downwardly facing surfaces at positionsbetween the leading nail and next adjacent nail. Moreover, thesesurfaces within the magazine assembly which engage the downwardly facingsurfaces provided by the rib means can conveniently terminate in shearedges. With this arrangement therefore, the prior art suspension of theleading nail within the drive track solely by the next adjacent nailthrough the tape is modified. Thus, with magazine supporting surfaceswith shear edges engaging the downwardly facing surfaces ofthe rib meansadditional lines of support are provided and any tendency for the stripsof the present invention to move downwardly or longitudinally with theleading nail during its driving action is immediately resisted by thesemagazine supporting surfaces with shearing edges. The result is that theweb means is immediately sheared which initiates the disintegration ofthe strips. Second, the web means provides additional compressivestrength which resists the tendency of the strips to buckle prior tocomplete fracture. This strength is provided both throughout the extentof the strips between their lines of contact with the adjacentperipheries and at the line of contact as well. The addition of strengthat the line of contact with the shank is particularly significant sincethis constitutes the area of weakest strength in the prior art packageswhere buckling will most readily occur during the driving action.

The exterior rib means of the nail-retaining means of the presentinvention provides downwardly facing surfaces which can be engaged bysupporting structure within the magazine assembly not only at a positionadjacent the drive track but throughout the longitudinal extent of themagazine assembly. in this way the package can be supported within themagazine of the continuous smooth surfaces provided by the rib meansrather than the irregular discontinuous downwardly facing surfaces ofthe heads. in those instances where the construction of the magazineassembly is such as to require loading of the package downwardly thereinfrom the top, the packagesupporting surfaces within the magazine wouldengage the rib means ofonly the lowermost tape on each side of thepackage throughout the longitudinal extent of the magazine. Where themagazine assembly is end loaded, each of the rib means can be engaged bya supporting surface within the magazine assembly.

Since it is preferable to support the package within the magazine bysupporting surfaces which engage the downwardly facing surfaces of therib means, it is important that the rib means be positioned along theshanks at the same spacing from the head throughout the size range ofthe shank lengths. Such an arrangement is also desirable from the stand:

point of package production equipment since the positioning of the tapesor strips with respect to the nails can be more readily determined byrelating them to the heads. Thus, the only adjustment required inpackage production equipment to accommodate the full size range is withrespect to the shank diameter size. Insofar as accommodation of theshank diameter size within the driving tool is concerned, no adjustmentis necessary since the transverse outward extent of the rib means, whenapplied to the smallest shank diameter size, can be made such as toinsure engagement of the downwardly facing surfaces thereof with thesupporting surfaces provided by the magazine assembly even when spacedapart to accommodate the largest shank diameter size. For example, it iscontemplated that in the preferred embodiment transverse dimension ofthe rib means can be of the order of 0.l09 inches. In general, thisdimension exceeds the dimension between the periphery of the shank andthe periphery of the head mea sured in the same direction. Stateddifferently, the dimension from the tip of one rib means to the tip ofarib means disposed on the opposite side of the row formation measured ina direction perpendicular to the extent thereof is generally somewhatgreater than the diameter of the head. In the preferred embodiment setforth above this overall dimension between the tips of the rib meanswould be in a range from a dimension of the order of 0.332 inches to adimension of the order of 0.362 inches compared with a head diameterdimension of the order of 0.305 inch.

While the above expressed relationship is preferred and desirable asapplied throughout a fairly extensive size range, it will be understoodthat these relationships for any particular size may not be the mostdesirable and it is within the contemplation of the present inventionfor the overall rib dimension from tip to tip to be even somewhat lessthan the diameter size of the head.

The present invention also contemplates nail packages wherein the nailshanks are coated prior to the application of the strips thereto duringassembly. In this regard, it will be noted that the amount of carrierstrip material contacting the shanks is minimized, thus providingoptimum integrity to the coating applied to the shanks.

It thus will be seen that the objects of this invention have been fullyand effectively accomplished. It will be realized, however, that theforegoing specific embodiment has been shown and described only for thepurpose of illustrating the principles of this invention and is subjectto extensive change without departure from such principles.

What I claim is:

1. In a nail package of the type comprising a plurality of nails eachincluding a shank having a head at one end and a point at its other end,said nails being arranged in row formation with their shanks generallyparallel and the heads of adjacent nails in lapped relation and meanssecured to opposite sides of the shanks retaining said nails in said rowformation, the improvement which comprises said nailsecuring meansincluding a plurality of strips of material operable to be progressivelydisintegrated as the nails are progressively driven from the rowformation, each of said strips being formed to provide relatively narrowthin elongated web means and longitudinally coextensive rib means, saidweb means extending longitudinally in the direction of extent of saidrow formation and transversely in the direction of extent of saidshanks, the associated sides of said shanks being adhesively secured tosaid web means, said rib means extending longitudinally in the directionof extent of said row formation and transversely outwardly from the webmeans of the associated strip in a direction transverse to the directionof extent of said shanks.

2. The improvement as defined in claim 1 wherein said nailsecuring meansincludes four strips of material, two on each sured in the direction ofextent ofsaid nail shanks.

3. The improvement as defined in claim 2 wherein the web means ofadjacent strips measured in the direction of extent of said nail shanksare disposed in spaced relation.

4. The improvement as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said strips isformed of a layer of heat-activatable adhesive on a backing portion.

5. The improvement as defined in claim 4 wherein said backing portion ismade of an absorbent material.

6. The improvement as defined in claim 5 wherein said heatactivatableadhesive comprises a hot melt thermoplastic and said absorbent materialcomprises kraft paper.

7. The improvement as defined in claim 1 wherein the rib means of eachstrip comprises a longitudinal section of said strip folded along alongitudinally extending fold line.

8. The improvement as defined in claim 7 wherein said longitudinalsection is folded along said fold line to an extant such as to define anincluded angle ofthe order of 20.

9. The improvement as defined in claim 8 wherein said longitudinalsection is disposed in the central portion of said strip and said foldline constitutes the medial line thereof.

10. In a nail package of the type comprising a plurality of nails eachincluding a shank having a head at one end and a work-piercing point atits other end, said nails being arranged in row formation with theirshanks generally parallel and the heads of adjacent nails in lappedrelation, and means secured to opposite sides of the shanks retainingsaid nails in said row formation for manual handling as a unit forpurposes of loading the same into a magazine of a nail-driving deviceand mechanical handling when loaded within the magazine as by springpressure acting upon the trailing nail resiliently urging the leadingnail into a drive track to be stripped from the row formation and drivenby a longitudinal driving force applied to the head, the improvementwhich comprises said nail-securing means comprising a plurality ofrelatively narrow, thin elongated strips operable to be progressivelydisintegrated in response to the progressive stripping of the nails fromthe row formation, each of said strips including a normally nontackymaterial capable of being activated by a relatively high heat into aflowable adhesive on one side thereof and an absorbent material stablewhen said normally nontacky material is heat activated into a flowableadhesive and disposed in contact with said normally nontacky material soas to generally confine the same when heat activated, said strips beingfolded longitudinally to from web means and rib means, said web meansextending longitudinally in the direction of extent of said rowformation and transversely in the direction of extent of said shanks,the associated sides of said shanks being adhesively embedded in thenormally nontacky material of said web means, said rib means extendinglongitudinally in the direction of extent of said row formation andtransversely outwardly from the web means of the associated strip in adirection transverse to the direction of extent of said shanks, said ribmeans defining surfaces facing in a direction away from said headsextending continuously along opposite sides of the row formation in thedirection of extent thereof by which the nail package can be supportedfor sliding movement within the magazine.

11. The improvement as defined in claim 10 wherein the rib means of eachstrip comprises a central longitudinal section folded along a centrallongitudinal fold line to define an included angle of the order of 20.

1. In a nail package of the type comprising a plurality of nails eachincluding a shank having a head at one end and a point at its other end,said nails being arranged in row formation with their shanks generallyparallel and the heads of adjacent nails in lapped relation and meanssecured to opposite sides of the shanks retaining said nails in said rowformation, the improvement which comprises said nail-securing meansincluding a plurality of strips of material operable to be progressivelydisintegrated as the nails are progressively driven from the rowformation, each of said strips being formed to provide relatively narrowthin elongated web means and longitudinally coextensive rib means, saidweb means extending longitudinally in the direction of extent of saidrow formation and transversely in the direction of extent of saidshanks, the associated sides of said shanks being adhesively secured tosaid web means, said rib means extending longitudinally in the directionof extent of said row formation and transversely outwardly from the webmeans of the associated strip in a direction transverse to the directionof extent of said shanks.
 2. The improvement as defined in claim 1wherein said nail-securing means includes four strips of material, twoon each side of the row formation, the rib means of each of said stripsbeing spaced from said nail heads a different distance measured in thedirection of extent of said nail shanks.
 3. The improvement as definedin claim 2 wherein the web means of adjacent strips measured in thedirection of extent of said nail shanks are disposed in spaced relation.4. The improvement as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said strips isformed of a layer of heat-activatable adhesive on a backing portion. 5.The improvement as defined in claim 4 wherein said backing portion ismade of an absorbent material.
 6. The improvement as defined in claim 5wherein said heat-activatable adhesive comprises a hot meltthermoplastic and said absorbent material comprises kraft paper.
 7. Theimprovement as defined in claim 1 wherein the rib means of each stripcomprises a longitudinal section of said strip folded along alongitudinally extending fold line.
 8. The improvement as defined inclaim 7 wherein said longitudinal section is folded along said fold lineto an extant such as to define an included angle of the order of 20*. 9.The improvement as defined in claim 8 wherein said longitudinal sectionis disposed in the central portion Of said strip and said fold lineconstitutes the medial line thereof.
 10. In a nail package of the typecomprising a plurality of nails each including a shank having a head atone end and a work-piercing point at its other end, said nails beingarranged in row formation with their shanks generally parallel and theheads of adjacent nails in lapped relation, and means secured toopposite sides of the shanks retaining said nails in said row formationfor manual handling as a unit for purposes of loading the same into amagazine of a nail-driving device and mechanical handling when loadedwithin the magazine as by spring pressure acting upon the trailing nailresiliently urging the leading nail into a drive track to be strippedfrom the row formation and driven by a longitudinal driving forceapplied to the head, the improvement which comprises said nail-securingmeans comprising a plurality of relatively narrow, thin elongated stripsoperable to be progressively disintegrated in response to theprogressive stripping of the nails from the row formation, each of saidstrips including a normally nontacky material capable of being activatedby a relatively high heat into a flowable adhesive on one side thereofand an absorbent material stable when said normally nontacky material isheat activated into a flowable adhesive and disposed in contact withsaid normally nontacky material so as to generally confine the same whenheat activated, said strips being folded longitudinally to from webmeans and rib means, said web means extending longitudinally in thedirection of extent of said row formation and transversely in thedirection of extent of said shanks, the associated sides of said shanksbeing adhesively embedded in the normally nontacky material of said webmeans, said rib means extending longitudinally in the direction ofextent of said row formation and transversely outwardly from the webmeans of the associated strip in a direction transverse to the directionof extent of said shanks, said rib means defining surfaces facing in adirection away from said heads extending continuously along oppositesides of the row formation in the direction of extent thereof by whichthe nail package can be supported for sliding movement within themagazine.
 11. The improvement as defined in claim 10 wherein the ribmeans of each strip comprises a central longitudinal section foldedalong a central longitudinal fold line to define an included angle ofthe order of 20*.